Efficient Solar Powered Removal of Volatile Components from Slurries

Abstract

A system and method for the removal of volatile components from a liquid or a slurry containing solids and liquids and using a screw conveyor or auger system that transfers solid/liquid slurries through an elongated tube heated by solar energy from a parabolic solar trough. The system flashes off the volatile component then counter-currently flows that vapor back into the hollow pipe inside of the augur creating a Multi-effect or Multi Flash device which greatly improves the overall efficiency of removal of the volatile material.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries comprising:
 a. a screw conveyor inside an elongated tube, with the conveying flights of the screw conveyor mounted onto a hollow pipe within the elongated tube;   b. a first end of the elongated tube comprising a feed port for a solid-liquid slurry;   c. a second end of the elongated tube comprising a waste drop for removal of the solids material after its liquids have been removed;   d. wherein the elongated tube is centered in a parabolic solar trough that impinges solar energy onto the elongated tube to volatilize the volatile liquid from the contained slurry;   e. wherein the elongated tube is not perfectly round but is topped with an enclosed vertical U-shaped or V-shaped top that provides a pathway for the volatile vapor removed from the solid-liquid slurry;   f. wherein a hollow pipe recycles the volatile vapor removed from the solid-liquid slurry counter-currently back through the hollow pipe within the elongated tube to remove the resulting liquid.   
     
     
         2 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 1  wherein the waste drop for removal of the solids material after its liquids have been removed in the elongated tube further comprises a long auger discharge where they are conveyed by an internal screw conveyor (auger) system before finally exiting the device as solids through a final waste drop. 
     
     
         3 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 1  wherein a vacuum is applied at the first end of the device to give the volatile vapor a flow direction and to lower the boiling point of the liquid. 
     
     
         4 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 3  wherein a controller that controls the level of slurry in the slurry fill feed port aids in maintaining the vacuum in the device. 
     
     
         5 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 2  wherein a controller maintains a vacuum seal in the device by control of the speed of the long auger discharge to keep the long auger filled with solids. 
     
     
         6 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 1  wherein in a particular application there could be one such elongated tube and for larger applications there could be multiple of these tubes aligned within multiple solar troughs. 
     
     
         7 . The solar powered device for efficient removal of volatile liquids from industrial solid-liquid slurries of  claim 1  further comprising the addition of electric or gas heaters to heat the elongated tube to achieve 24-hour power in the absence of solar impingement. 
     
     
         8 . A method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries comprising:
 a. providing a screw conveyor inside an elongated tube, with the conveying flights of the screw conveyor mounted onto a hollow pipe within the elongated tube;   b. providing a first end of the elongated tube with a feed port for a solid-liquid slurry;   c. providing a second end of the elongated tube with a waste drop for removal of solids material;   d. positioning the elongated tube in a parabolic solar trough that impinges solar energy onto the elongated tube to volatilize the volatile liquid from the contained slurry;   e. providing an enclosed vertical U shaped or V-shaped top to the elongated tube that provides a pathway for the volatile vapor removed from the solid-liquid slurry;   f. providing a vacuum at the first end of the elongated tube to pull the flow of volatized vapor from the second end of the elongated tube in a counter-current flow in the hollow pipe of the elongated tube;   g. providing an exit from the hollow pipe of the elongated tube for removing the liquid of the solid-liquid slurry.   
     
     
         9 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 8  further providing a long auger discharge where they are conveyed by an internal screw conveyor (auger) system before finally exiting the system as solids through a waste drop. 
     
     
         10 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 8  further providing a vacuum is applied at the first end of the device to give the volatile vapor a flow direction and to lower the boiling point of the liquid. 
     
     
         11 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 10  further providing a controller that controls the level of slurry in the slurry fill feed port that aids in maintaining the vacuum in the device. 
     
     
         12 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 10  further providing a controller that maintains a vacuum seal in the device by control of the speed of the long auger discharge to keep the long auger filled with solids. 
     
     
         13 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 8  providing for some larger applications multiple of these elongated tubes aligned within multiple solar troughs. 
     
     
         14 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 8  further providing the addition of electric or gas heaters to heat the elongated tube to achieve 24-hour power in the absence of solar impingement. 
     
     
         15 . The method for utilizing solar power for efficient removal of volatile materials such as water from industrial slurries of  claim 8  further providing for control of the screw conveyor speed within the elongated tube to provide control of the degree of dryness of the solids achieved.